Posts Tagged 'albuquerque'

Last week, Seattle Weekly looked at what happens to cops who run afoul of the law in the wake of the case of Seattle police officer Ian Birk. Birk shot and killed a homeless Native American woodcarver in August, and though he resigned under great pressure, he faces no criminal charges.

In the article there is a brief mention of Albuquerque police officer Daniel Guzman, who attacked a local NBC news photographer in 2008 because he didn’t sufficiently respect his authority. As we posted, Guzman was spectacularly unhinged, and the police department said it would review the way its department handles the media as a result.

Well, ever wonder what happens to a loose cannon cop?

Not all the shamed officers wind up ulcer-ridden and jobless. Daniel Guzman, a former officer with the Albuquerque Police Department, lost his job after he attacked a television news photographer who pissed him off.

He ended up, however, getting a new job with the Bernalillo Police Department after they decided he “deserved a second chance.” [ED NOTE: The above link requires registration, but you can read the story here.]

You can read about other officers who abused their authority and ended up with good jobs and no worse for the wear. It reminds me of the Catholic Church’s response to bad priests: just reassign them to a new parish. And we all know how well that’s turned out.

Like this:

KOB.com is reporting that charges were dismissed against Rick Foley, an Albequerque NBC news photographer who was arrested by APD Officer Daniel Guzman after exchanging words at a crime scene. We posted about this story in the beginning of June — viewing the tape of the incident, most would conclude that the officer’s behavior was egregiously aggressive and an inappropriate response.

The Albequerque Journal reported today that Judge Benjamin Chavez said the charge of failure to obey an officer wasn’t viable because the citation didn’t provide sufficient information detailing the crime that took place that night.

Officer Guzman is on paid leave and his disciplinary hearing is scheduled for next week. This incident has prompted Police Chief Ray Schultz to review the way his department handles the media at crime scenes.

Sometimes things are handled correctly, and this is good development for journalists’ rights.

Like this:

We posted on this story earlier, about Albuquerque police officer Daniel Guzman attacking a local NBC news videographer after exchanging some unpleasantries, and it looks like changes are afoot at the APD. It was all caught on tape, and Officer Guzman’s aggression was pretty shocking.

According to the Albuquerque Journal, Police Chief Ray Schultz reviewed the tape and determined mistakes were made. Now, the entire police department will undergo training so that they know how to appropriately respond in such situations.

Did Albuquerque police officer Daniel Guzman cross the line? By the looks of this video, it sure seems so. After exchanging a few words about a media staging area, local NBC news videographer Rick Foley was putting his gear back into his car when Officer Guzman hauls off and attacks him. The officer seemed to have gotten so riled up because he wasn’t being sufficiently respected, and he unfortunately let his youth and inexperience get the best of him (he’s only been on the force for just over a year). Foley spent 90 minutes in handcuffs. Guzman’s defense was that he was “sticking his camera in my face.” As annoying as that may be, it’s nowhere near a crime. APD Chief Ray Schultz says the incident is now under review.